A story never told
by Ashujou
Summary: What if he has more story to tell from his childhood? Look back and relive Ash's childhood days along with a dear friend. A Furthershipping story. Slight Amourshipping.
1. Author's note

**So this is my 1st story uploaded and it's a Furthershipping story, which is pretty rare. I like this pairing even though Leaf hasn't really made any cameo in the anime but that's what made this shipping great. No fear of it being ruined in the anime and no fear of sinking down the ship. I'm free to imagine how I wanted Leaf and Ash to be.**

 **This is a two-shot story and I plan to make some few more, contributing to the small fandom of the ship and hopefully, I can encourage other writers to write Furthershipping stories,which is my purpose for writing in the 1st place. Quite honest, I'd rather read stories than write one because I suck at story telling but since the ship lacks some stories, I decided to contribute a little.**

 **Also, I'll be explaining some few things right after chapter two that I haven't made clear in the story itself**

 **Without further adieu please proceed to the 1st chapter and hopefully you guys appreciate it, regardless if you like the pairing or not. Rate and review and please give some constructive criticism as it helps to improve my writing skills. Enjoy.**


	2. Childhood

In the small town of Pallet, there lives a young boy named Ash Ketchum. A youth who dreamed of becoming a Pokemon master one day. Ash has always shown interest in anything related to Pokemon. Unfortunately for the boy though, he is still not in the right age to start his own journey to achieve his dreams, and no matter how much he begs for it to happen immediately, his mother, Delia wouldn't let him go off easily. Ash always obeys his mother's orders. Even at an early age, He knew that he shouldn't get into her bad side. Even the toughest Tauros will cower in fear upon witnessing his mother's wrath, according to Ash at least.

It was a bright morning when Ash decided to take a stroll in a nearby forest hoping to discover new Pokemon, a daily routine for the raven-haired boy. After a couple of hours, Ash decided to take a short rest on his little adventure. He went into his own "secret hide out", which is a small open field in the middle of the forest. The view is quite marvelous and the atmosphere is very relaxing. Ash loved this place. It gives him peace and solitude whenever he feels like getting out of the civilization. This place was Ash's little secret, or so as he thinks.

"Hey Red!" called out a familiar voice.

Ash was lying on the field when he heard the voice of a girl he knew pretty well. "Leaf!?" he called back.

Upon looking behind, there stood behind him a young brunette with long silky hair. The girl was wearing a pink hat and a simple blue sundress.

"So this is where you've been. No wonder everyone's having a hard time looking for you."

"H-how did ya' get here!?" Ash said as he stuttered. "This is my secret hideout!"

Leaf giggled at Ash's surprise. She had always find it cute whenever she surprises him. "Silly Ash!" she started, "You look so funny when you make faces like that." She giggled more.

"Gee weez".

"You sure found a good hiding place. Oh, what a wonderful sight!" The young girl inspected Ash's little sanctuary. She danced around as she continued to praise the beauty of the place.

"You still haven't answered my question yet….Blue."

Leaf stopped her dancing and faced Ash. "Red, no matter where we go, no matter how far we are from each other, we'll always find a way to see each other again. Isn't that our promise?"

"Uh yeah, I guess it is." said Ash as he rubs the back of his head. "Still, I never would have thought you'd find me here.

"Being an adventure hungry you were, I already figured you'll be in a place where Pokemon are." She boasted to him.

"R-right" Ash said in defeat. "So, are you okay? Were you scared? Did any Pokemon try to hurt you on your way here?"

"No, I'm fine. But thanks for caring like always." Leaf said while an obvious blush popped out of her soft cheeks. Ash has always been protective of Leaf ever since he stood up for her against bullies. Leaf adores that part of Ash, being protective and always standing up for those who he cared for. He was that amazing and Leaf couldn't help but to develop a crush on him. Unfortunately for the girl though, Ash is not very good at sensing affections. Despite all the kindness he was showing to her, Leaf knew that Ash isn't the romantic type but she gladly accepted that. "One of these days, Red. One of these days." She said to herself.

"Are you okay? Your face is beet red and you're spacing out." Ash said as he looked closely at Leaf.

"I-it's nothing. Nothing really." She said while laughing out of nervousness.

Ash blinked twice and decided not to ask anything further. "Alright, why did you come looking for me anyway?"

"So you forgot." Leaf said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Forgot what?"

"Oh Ash, you're such a jerk!" How could you forget?"

Ash started laughing after seeing his friend's reaction. "Gotcha!" He said. The girl tilted her head to the right and looked at Ash confused.

"I wouldn't forget." Ash reached out of his pocket and showed something to the young brunette. "Happy birthday, Blue!"

The girl was surprised at the boy's greeting. She looked closer at his hand and saw a bundle of tiny flowers tied up by a string and with a tiny blue ribbon in the middle. Ash held up Leaf's right arm making the girl blush and donned the handmade bracelet to her.

"Red, you-"

"How can I forget my best friend's birthday?" He said while rubbing his nose.

"Oh, I'm so happy! This is the best gift I've ever received for my birthday!"

"You say the same thing every year when I give you presents."

"And I'm wondering how you'll be able to top this one off next year." She jokingly said.

Ash sweat-dropped at what the girl said. "Let's head back, I'm sure everyone's getting worried."

Leaf nodded and the two of them went straight home. It took them a couple of minutes before they reached the main road leading back to Pallet town. Ash was glad that Leaf was safe and sound and that nothing bad had happened while they were in the middle of the forest. The boy decided to drop off his friend in her house first before he went back to his own.

"Now don't you forget-" Leaf started

"You don't need to say anything, Blue. I'll be at your birthday party. Since when did I never go anyway?" Ash finished.

"I guess you've never missed any of my birthdays but still, I wanna make sure that you had to come, Red. I always come to your house whenever it's your birthday."

"You come to my house every day, Blue." The boy corrected her.

Leaf pouted and Ash saw the cute face Leaf made and poked it for fun. "You know, you should put more trust in me. I'll never break any promises with you."

Leaf held her little finger up to make yet another promise with Ash. "Pinkie swear?" She asked.

"I told you, I'm coming to your party, right?"

"No. Will you promise me that no matter what, you'll never break any of your promises to me?"

The boy was speechless at first then he smiled and held up his own little finger and hooked it on Leaf's.

"I promise, Blue."

"Great! That's another one added to our little promises' list!" Leaf said happily.

"At this rate, our little promises will turn into one big pile of promises that it's so big, it will reach Mt. Silver." The two laughed at the joke Ash made.

"Be sure to look tidy when you come to my birthday party, Red." She winked at him.

"What? I'm always clean." Ash cried in defense.

"Oh really?" The girl came closer to the boy and rubbed the top of his head. She then proceeded into messing up his hair making it more untidy than ever. "It'd be nice to comb your hair every once in a while."

"What's the point of combing 'em anyway? They'll get messy no matter what I do. Besides, I'll be wearing hats by the time I become a Pokemon trainer so it's not necessary for me to fix 'em."

"Look, I like that untidy hair of yours. It defines your personality." said Leaf as she rolled her eyes on one side while placing her hands on her hips. "But I want my guest of honor to be the best looking one above the rest."

Ash decided not to argue back. He knew it would be pointless if he tries to reason out with Leaf and she does have a point. Ash has always been the guest of honor during Leaf's birthdays and she wants to treat him specially. "Alright, it's your birthday anyway." He finally said to her.

"Great! I'll see you later! Bye Red!" Leaf waved goodbye to Ash before she ran inside her house. Ash was waving back to her as she went back inside and decided to go back home as well so that he can prepare for Leaf's birthday party.

A few more hours have passed and Ash was now dressed properly. He was wearing a black pants, white suit with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was also wearing a navy blue vest and a pair of black shoes. As Leaf had instructed him earlier, Ash's hair was combed down with some few spikes and strands still hanging up. It was now time for Ash to go to Leaf's house. He was joined by his mother with a dish she prepared for the little brunette's birthday. Ash's mom and Leaf's parents are very close to each other and it's been a tradition for the adults to prepare foods and parties together whenever there are occasions.

Delia made sure that she takes a photo of his son dressed up properly since it is very rare for Ash to wear something formal. She couldn't help but to giggle at how cute her son looks. They arrived at Leaf's house. Delia knocked at the front door and they were greeted by the brunette's father. He gave Delia a friendly hug and looked down at Ash. "Hey there, young man. You look pretty handsome today!" the man complimented. Ash was a little bit abashed with the comment he received. He thanked him shyly and both parents couldn't help but laugh. The man gestured them to come inside. Delia went straight to the kitchen to help Leaf's mother prepare the food.

Meanwhile, Ash was led by Leaf's father to the backyard where the party was being held. Ash saw some few children. He also saw the kids who used to bully Leaf. It seemed that they all became Leaf's close friends in the end. It can't be helped, Ash thought to himself. After all, the brunette is kind and friendly. She doesn't like holding grudges against anyone. Ash also noticed that aside from him, everyone was wearing their casual clothes. He felt awkward at the thought of being the only one wearing something formal but that was until Leaf herself came down from her room dressed elegantly. The girl was wearing a pink gown with long gloves. Her hair was tied in pony-tail and the most distinguishable items in her outfit are the bracelet and necklace that Ash gave to her as birthday presents.

The first thing that the birthday girl did was to approach Ash ignoring the other visitors. "So what do you think?" She asked Ash as she spins around to show off her dress.

"Looks good on you, Blue!" The boy replied

"Thanks. Red! (Although, I wish you could have said something much better)" She sighed.

"What's wrong? You've been spacing out a lot lately."

"It's nothing. Y-you don't look bad yourself!" She said trying to change the subject.

"Thanks! I'm glad I wasn't the only one wearing something formal."

"What's this? Looks like Leaf and Ashy-boy are having a good time alone." Said a familiar voice. Both Ash and Leaf looked at the direction where the voice came from and saw Gary Oak, a close friend of Ash and Leaf though more of a rival for the latter.

"Green!?" They both said simultaneously.

Gary approached the two as he continued to tease them. "Did I interrupt something?" He asked.

"Not at all, Green!" Ash said. "Is professor Oak here?"

"He'll be here in couple of hours. Gramps said that he just needed to grab something at his lab." Gary replied. He noticed that Leaf was making a pouty face. Unlike Ash, Gary was able to pick up the hint immediately. Unfortunately for the girl though, Gary wanted to do a little more teasing. The brunette boy had a huge grin on his face which both Ash and Leaf noticed with only the girl getting the bad feeling. "Maybe I should leave now. Don't wanna interrupt Romeo and Juliet with their business!"

"GREEN!" Leaf cried.

"Ash and Leaf sitting under a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-" Before Gary could finish the song, a blushing Leaf stopped him by covering his mouth with her left hand.

Ash on the other hand was trying to figure out the message of the song. "We are what?" He asked obliviously. "Wait, K…I…S…S….-…" Finally Ash caught up with the message. The boy's face suddenly heated up. His eyes widened and his heartbeat went faster than a Rapidash can run.

"Green you jerk! Get away from us or I'll punch you in the nose!" Leaf threatens. Gary kept laughing as he walked away from his two friends. "You guys better not catch any cooties or something!"

"I'm sorry about that, Red."

"It's okay. It's just Green. He loves to tease us all the time."

"Yeah. Um, Red? About that song….Please don't take it seriously."

Once again, the song came back on Ash's head, making him blush once more. "Oh uh. D-d-don't worry about it Blue. I'm not gonna... K-k-kiss y-you. I-it's gross, you know!"

Leaf felt hurt a little by what Ash had said. Even though she knew that he didn't mean it in a bad way, it still made the girl sad. "Yeah, kissing is gross. Let's not do that." She said hiding her disappointment. Why is it so hard to hide her feelings? Why does she even have to hide it from Ash? Why did Gary even try to tease them like that? It's one of these times that the girl just wished that liking someone can't be too complicated.

Once again, Ash noticed that Leaf was spacing out. This time he was starting to get worried for the girl. "You know, if there's something that you wanted to say, you can talk to me. I won't get mad at you."

"Don't worry, Red. Maybe I'll tell you when the right time comes." Leaf said assuring the boy that everything is fine. "Now let's go and have some fun!" The brunette grabbed Ash's wrist and led the boy to the party.

Leaf's birthday party was a blast. There were a lot games that the children enjoyed so much with the adults joining in sometimes. There was also a dancing and singing portion which both Leaf and Ash participated in. Leaf was very good at both singing and dancing while Ash was trying not to look funny in front of everyone. Leaf couldn't help but laugh herself but nonetheless she still enjoyed seeing the boy trying his best. Both Ash and Leaf also made a duet, something that their parents enjoyed watching. Finally, it's time for the cake and for Leaf to blow the candles. Everyone sang the happy birthday song and afterwards, the young girl closed her eyes and made a wish and once done, blew the candles. The cake itself was big enough to give every visitor a piece. It's finally time for giving gifts. Leaf received a lot from the children. Delia also gave one and so did Gary. Leaf thanked everybody but for her, Ash's gift was the best of all.

"Leaf we got one more present for you." Her mother said. "Okay you guys, bring it out now." Leaf's father and Professor Oak suddenly came out from the living room.

"Happy birthday, Leaf!" Both her father and the professor greeted. The young girl noticed something that the professor was carrying. "What is that?" She asked. "Leaf, sweetie. I know that you've been anticipating to have a Pokemon and start your own journey. Just some few more years and you'll be at the right age to do so, that's why-" Leaf's dad took the egg from Professor Oak and handed it to her daughter.

"Wait! Is this-?".

"Yes, a Pokemon egg. I'm sure that one day it will hatch and it will be your first Pokemon." Leaf's dad confirmed.`

"Oh, daddy thank you so much!" Leaf jumped and hugged her father. This was her first time having a Pokemon even though it was still just an egg.

Ash couldn't help but to feel jealous. He's been anticipating to have his own Pokemon. Despite being envious, Ash didn't display any bitterness nor anger towards Leaf. In fact he was very happy that his best friend finally received her first Pokemon. "That is so cool, Blue! You finally have your own Pokemon. Congratulations!" He said to her. "Thanks, Red. I hope that you get yours soon as well so that we can finally be on a journey together."

"Now now, you two. Like I said, you still have some few more years left before you can start your journey. And Ash-" Leaf's father looked at the young boy. "Don't worry, you also have your own Pokemon in professor Oak's lab. It's just that the researchers still needed to conduct examinations on the egg before we can give it to you." Ash's eyes widened in amusement.

"Isn't that great, Ash?" Her mother asked.

"It sure is, mom!"

"I can't wait to see yours, Red! I'm sure that it will be cute!" Leaf said being happy for her friend as well.

Some few more hours passed and the visitors have started leaving the party. All those left in the house now are Ash's mother, Leaf's parents and Professor Oak. The adults were all cleaning up the house. Meanwhile, both Ash and Leaf once again sneaked out to their 'secret' hideout. The two of them sat down under a tree with Leaf still holding the Pokemon egg.

"I wonder what kind of Pokemon it will turn out to be?" Ash asked.

Both children looked closer at the egg. It was blue with a big white spot on the lower part but the most distinguishable feature that it has was the swirl in the middle of the white part.

"No idea." Leaf replied.

"Whatever it is I'm sure it will be cool!"

"I'd rather have it cute than cool though."

"Well then, why not both cute and cool?"

"I'd love that!" Leaf giggled.

The sun was almost setting but Ash and Leaf decided to stay a while longer. Both of them wanted to cherish the moment as they enjoy the scenery around them.

"I really like it here, Red."

"Yeah, just being in this place calms me. Not sure why though."

"I've decided. This will be our little home!" Leaf said enthusiastically.

Ash wondered what the young girl meant. "Our….Little home?"

"Yep! We can be family here. I'll be the mommy and this little fella will be our child!"

"Wait, what?"

"If I'm the mommy that means you'll be the daddy!" Leaf said as her cheeks started to turn red.

It was Ash's turn to blush. "Oh uh. Okay." He nodded. "But I don't know how to be a daddy."

"Don't worry. All you need to do is to take care of us. That's the duty of every daddy."

"Okay, sorry. I haven't seen dad for a long time so I'm not really sure how to act like one.

Ash was still unsure what this was all about but one thing is for sure, he loved seeing Leaf being happy and if she wanted them to be a small 'family', even though he has no idea for what purpose it will be, Ash was glad to let his friend have it. Leaf couldn't ask for more. She and Ash became a family despite pretending. The girl hasn't really told him about her feelings but she was satisfied with her current relationship with Ash. As long as they are together, the girl wouldn't mind waiting for the right time to come. For now, she just wanted to be close to her best friend. She yawned and her eyelids felt heavy. Leaf laid her head on Ash's shoulder and fell asleep. The boy noticed the sleeping girl. He didn't bother moving and just let the girl sleep.

"Sweet dreams, Blue." He said as the girl drifted into the dream world. 

**A/N: This is a two-shot story but I feel like this chapter can be considered as a one-shot. By now, you may already have an idea what Pokemon Leaf received and yes, it will play a little part on the 2nd chapter which is the the summer camp mini-arc and I'm sure that you'll be familiar with this one and there will be a character cameo which I'm sure most of you knows quite well. Anyway, please rate and review. I welcome honest and constructive criticisms.**


	3. Summer camp

**A/N: Sorry for making you wait. Here's the last chapter.**

Summer had finally arrived in Kanto. It was that time of the year again where young ones participate in multiple activities that help them gain knowledge of the world inhabited by creatures called Pokemon. Perhaps one event that everyone was mostly looking forward to was Professor Oak's summer camp since the camp offers wide variety of Pokemon related activities.

It was no different story for the raven-haired boy who's been pretty excited to join in the said camp. Young Ash Ketchum, has been eager to join as he believes that it will help him understand the creatures' behaviours. Not only that, Ash have always wanted to be in full contact with Pokemon especially after seeing his friend Leaf's Pokemon egg hatch.

"So do you have everything you needed for tomorrow, sweetie?" The young mother named Delia asked her son.

"Don't worry, mom. I got everything in my backpack."

"Alright, I still have some chores to do here so go and play outside for a while."

"Sure thing, mom!" said the boy as he ran outside.

Ash was now walking on the side of the streets wondering what he'll be doing for this day. He was also thinking of what type of Pokemon he'll encounter at the summer camp. While in deep thought, Ash didn't notice that someone was following him. "Ugh, I don't really have much to do. Maybe I'll visit Green for a while and-" Ash turned around suddenly but before he realized it, his face bumped into something soft.

When he removed his face from the soft object, he saw in front of him a white figure with swirls in the middle. It took him a while before he realizes whose body it belongs to.

"Poliwag!?" Ash identifies the creature.

"Hey, Red!" Says the mysterious voice

"Ahh, a talking Poliwag! I'm going crazy!"

"No, dummy! It's me." Poliwag was removed in front of Ash's face and behind it was the pretty face of his friend, Leaf. She has a long brown hair and she was wearing a white hat with a red design that resembles a Pokeball in half.

"Blue!?"

"Well it's about time you've noticed my presence." Said the brunette as she sighed.

"Sorry, I wasn't really paying any attention." Ash said in apologetic voice.

"So what were you thinking anyway?"

"Just some few stuffs, like what kind of Pokemon I'll see at the summer camp." Ash answered.

Leaf knew that Ash will be participating on Professor Oak's summer camp. She couldn't help but to feel lonely. Even though it was only for three days, Leaf doesn't like being separated from her best friend. "Do you really have to go to that camp, Red?"

"Of course! It's my chance to see more Pokemon. Plus I heard that they will have battles and I don't wanna miss out." Before Ash could say anything further, he noticed that Leaf was frowning.

"Why don't you go with me? I'm sure we'll have lots of fun out there." He told his friend.

The girl was happy with the offer but unfortunately she couldn't accept it. "Sorry, I have voice lessons for the next five days so I can't" She said with a sad smile.

"I see. Too bad." Suddenly, Ash thought of an idea. "Why don't I talk to your parents so that they allow you to come?"

"You'd do that for me?"

"Sure! Now c'mon!" Ash grabbed Leaf's hand making the little girl blush and together, they went to her house. Once in Leaf's house, they saw her mother watering her flowers in the garden.

"Hello, Mrs. Leaf's mom." The young boy greeted. "Hi, mom." Leaf greeted as well.

The older woman paused for a while and greeted the two. "Hey there, you two. Enjoying your little date?" she asked giggling. Leaf was surprised at what her mother said and yet again another blush appeared on her cheeks. Ash on the other hand, was looking at the mother, confused. "Anyway, tomorrow is the day of the summer camp. I was wondering if you could let Blue participate. I know she has singing lessons but I think her voice is beautiful enough that she can beat any professionals any day. She doesn't need to practice anymore if you ask me. "

And for the 3rd time, Leaf once again blushed at what Ash have said. She never would have thought that her friend will compliment her that way.

"Please allow her to attend the summer camp. I'm sure she will enjoy it as much as I will and I promise you that I'll look after her so you don't have to worry." Ash tried to convince the mother.

Leaf's mother didn't answer immediately. She placed one hand on her chin, thinking about what Ash have said. "Did you mean it?

"Course I do! I'll protect Leaf in any danger!"

"No, I was talking about what you've said about Leaf's voice." She corrected.

"Oh sure! I mean, whenever I hear her sing, I always feel happy. I'm not sure why but it gives my tummy some funny feelings. Umm, is that normal?"

Leaf's mother nodded and clasped her hands together. "Well how about that dear?" She turned her head to the little girl. "Looks like you did a great job impressing your number one fan!" she compliments.

"Huh? What do 'ya mean?" The boy asked as he looked at Leaf whose face has been red most of the time.

"See, Leaf has been practicing because she wanted to dedicate a song for you and she won't stop until she gets the tempo right. Leaf feels like if she mess up, you won't like it and you might laugh at her." The woman explained.

"I won't laugh." Ash looked at the girl smiling. "I like your voice." He followed as he gave his friend a huge grin. He didn't have any idea how much it meant for her. Leaf touched her cheeks as she looked at Ash before looking down attempting to avoid eye contact. "Th-thank you, Red." She finally said. Leaf's mother was observing the two. She knew that her daughter has a crush on Ash and even though he hasn't outright said it yet, Ash himself has some affection for Leaf that he's not aware of.

"Oh you two just look cute together." The mother praised. "Leaf, if you want to go you better prepare all the things you'll need for tomorrow."

Both Leaf and Ash's eyes widened. "You mean I can come!?" The little girl asked.

"Of course!"

Leaf threw Poliwag up to the air out of excitement and catches it before it landed to the ground. She then jumped twice as she screamed hooray happily.

Ash was also happy for his friend. Now both of them can enjoy the summer camp. "Thank you, mrs. Leaf's mom!"

"Make sure that you look out for each other out there and most importantly, have fun." The two youngsters nodded in agreement.

"Okay Leaf, let's go get you ready for tomorrow. Why don't we go to the mall and buy you some few stuffs that you'll need? Ash, you're free to join us."

"Nah, I'll pass. I got plans to visit Professor Oak's lab today." He said. Truth be told, Ash doesn't like shopping malls ever since he and his mother went there on a day where stores are on sale. It was a terrifying experience for the boy. He'll never understand why girls love shopping.

"Aww, I want us to hang around more today." Leaf said in a sad tone.

"Don't worry, we'll have lots and lots of time together tomorrow. I'm sure it will be fun!" Ash reasoned out. "Well, I'm going now. See ya, Blue!" Ash said as he ran and waved goodbye to the little girl.

"Bye Red. See you tomorrow as well." Leaf waved back.

Just a few more seconds and Leaf's father arrived. "Honey, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"What is it, Dear?"

At Professor Oak's lab, Ash and Gary were talking about their plans for the camp while observing the Pokemon. "I'll bet that I'll find the rarest Pokemon first." Ash said. "Na uh, I'll be the one to find 'em cuz' I'm the best." Gary protested. Both young boys started to laugh from their antics. Gary then changed the subject. " So you've convinced Leaf's mom to let her join the camp. I guess you don't have to be sad anymore since your girlfriend is with you." He teased.

"Sure, I'm glad that Blue is coming along!"

Gary gave Ash an odd look. "Do you…know what girlfriend means?"

"Yeah, they're your friends who are girls. Why'd you ask?"

Gary then smirked and waved his index finger in front of the dense boy. "tsk, tsk, tsk. Ashy boy, you still have a lot of things to learn."

"What the heck does that supposed to mean?"

"You'll have to figure it out on your own. Open your eyes and observe Leaf carefully."

"What about Leaf?"

"You'll be with Leaf most of the time at the camp. Hopefully you'll get what I mean in the following days."

Ash didn't respond anymore. He just gave the brunette a confused look.

Time passed quickly as the two friends talked and played longer. When sunset came, Ash decided to finally go back home and sleep early so that he won't be late the following day.

"Ash, let's check your items one more time just in case you missed something."

"Mom, I told you, I got everything I needed for tomorrow."

"I just wanna make sure, sweetie."

"Fine" Ash sighed.

"Band-Aids?"

"Check."

"Food."

"Check"

"Water"

"Check"

"Toothbrush"

"Check"

"Toothpaste"

"Check"

"Underwear"

"All here."

"And before I forget." She reached out to her pocket and took a handkerchief out and gave it to her son.

"What do I need that for?"

"You never know. Now go back to bed. You have a busy day tomorrow. I'll make sure to tell Leaf to look after you."

"Goodnight!"

The following morning, Ash woke up earlier than usual, finished his breakfast as soon as he can and changed his clothes. Since it was summer, he was wearing a blue shorts and sleeveless shirt that has a combination of yellow and red. Delia dropped Ash off to the Pokemon lab where other children were also waiting for their bus to arrive. The boy searched for Leaf within the waiting kids. As he looked out for his friend, Ash couldn't help but to overhear a conversation.

"Mommy, I don't want to go to this camp!"

"Now don't say that. Just enjoy it while we're still in Kanto."

"Why me!?" The straw hat girl sobbed.

Ash just shrugged off the conversation and continued to look for Leaf. A few more minutes later, he found her at the lab's garden where she was watching Poliwag and some other Pokemon playing. The girl was wearing her signature white hat and a blue sundress with a cute logo of Eevee at the middle. He approached the young girl and called out her name but something was wrong. He noticed that the little brunette was sad.

"Morning, Blue." He greeted. "What's wrong? Feeling sick?"

"Hi Red." She greeted back. "It's nothing, I guess you could say that I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed." She said attempting to hide the real reason behind her sadness.

"Well, if you have any problem don't forget that I'm always here for you."

"Thanks but-" She paused for a second. "Never mind."

Ash knew that something is troubling Leaf but decided not to press the matter further out of respect to his friend.

The bus arrived exactly in time. All children have boarded it and just a few minutes later, the bus finally left the lab and headed to the summer camp.

At the campsite, Ash couldn't wait to participate in any kind of activities that the camp can offer. On the other hand, Leaf wasn't feeling the thrill as opposed to what she was feeling yesterday. Poliwag can sense its master's emotions so it couldn't help but to feel worried of the girl.

"Don't worry, Poli. I'm fine. I'm just not sure how to deal with this and…..I'm not sure how to tell Red. What if-"

The girl's conversation with her Pokemon was interrupted when Ash called her out. "Blue, we gotta join the scavenger hunt!"

"We'll talk later. Let's enjoy this camp with Ash and forget 'that' matter for now." The girl whispered to the Pokemon. She then followed Ash so that both of them can participate in the hunt.

"Alright everyone, whoever wants to join in please, gather at the center." The announcer instructed. Both Leaf and Ash joined in. "The rules are simple, find all the things we scattered around the forest. We'll give each one of you a list of what to find. You can go on your own but we highly suggest that you guys work in group that will consist of up to five members only. Don't worry about getting lost, we have a map for all of you. The time limit is only 2 hours and we will start after 15 minutes of preparations so be sure to talk to each other so that you can all have a group. Whichever group finds all the items 1st will receive a medal."

Leaf and Ash decided to be partners and work on their own. Meanwhile, a girl wearing a straw hat and pink sundress wasn't paying enough attention to what the announcer have said. She was still thinking of how she got dragged into the camp. Afterwards, a young boy approached her. "Hey, do you want to be on our team?" He asked.

"Huh?"

"C'mon, we're one member short!" Said the boy as he took her arm.

"Wait, I-!" Too late. She was dragged into the group and was forced to join the scavenger hunt.

The hunt began and Ash read the list. "Okay, we need the following: Three Pecha berries, two Yellow Apricons, a lily flower and a Pokeball which is hidden somewhere in the forest."

"Right, we better get moving."

The two along with Poliwag started looking for the listed items. Leaf was able to find the berries while Ash found the apricorns on top of a tree. He climbed up to reach out for the yellow apricorns. Leaf was observing Ash, worried that he might fall any second. She told him to be careful while the boy said everything was fine. Ash reached the top safely and took two pieces as instructed. He then climbed down slowly but he accidentally stepped at a Rattata's tail startling the Pokemon. Ash was also surprised and accidentally, let go of his grip making him fall. It was a good thing that he was a few meters away from the ground, otherwise, he would have ended up with serious injuries.

"Red!" Leaf cried out worriedly.

"I'm fine. I landed on my bottom so I'm safe." He said as he stood up and removed the dirt in his shorts.

"Are you sure? Nothing serious?" Leaf held Ash on his shoulders as she kept inspecting him, searching for any signs of injuries.

"Don't worry, I'm all in one piece." He said laughing. "Now come on, we still have two more items to look out for."

Leaf hugged Ash surprising the boy. She felt scared for him even though he was far from any danger. Somehow, she doesn't like seeing her friend being hurt.

"Uhh, Blue?"

Leaf realized what she just did and blushed madly. "Oh, sorry!" She said letting go of the boy immediately. "L-let's continue on, shall we?"

The two resumed their search for the remaining items. Not long enough, they were able to find a lily flower. Now all that's left is the Pokeball hidden in the forest.

"Don't you think it's odd that a Pokeball is hidden around here?" Leaf asked.

"I bet the game masters hid it on purpose. Hey, let's split up so that we can find it faster."

Leaf agreed to the plan. "Right and we meet back at this exact location." She added.

"Okay, I'll head over north while you go look at west."

"Right, Poli, why don't you help out as well? You have good senses after all." Leaf commanded the Pokemon as she releases it from her embrace.

The two started their search. Leaf kept looking at nearby bushes. Sometimes, she spots different kinds of Pokemon which she finds adorable. Meanwhile, Ash was looking at every corner making sure that he doesn't miss anything on the field. Afterwards, he found Poliwag and noticed that it was in a bit of a hurry.

"Hey Poliwag! You found something, buddy?" Poliwag nodded. It then ran through the bushes. Ash decided to run after it hoping that it will lead him to the last item they needed. The boy found himself surrounded by tall bushes. Meanwhile, at a near open area, the straw hat girl who seemed to be lost was wandering and looking for her group mates.

"Where is everybody?" Where did you all go?" She called out. She heard rustling behind the bushes making the girl startled and fell on the ground. The girl was scared of whatever will appear. Suddenly, Poliwag jumped out. It looked at the girl for a second before it decided to hop away.

"I knew I didn't want to come to camp. I knew it! She said as she started to cry. "MOMMY!"

The girl heard another rustling on the bushes. She was yet again scared of what might appear. She closed her eyes as tears fall out.

"Poliwag?" Ash came out of the bushes. He saw the girl lying on the ground.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked the girl.

"Huh?" the girl opened her eyes and saw in front of her a boy she never met before.

"Hi, I'm Ash. Who are you?"

The girl didn't respond.

"What's wrong?" Ash asked again.

"I hurt…my leg." She said.

"Don't worry. See this?" Ash reached out of his pocket and took out the handkerchief that his mother gave to him. "This'll make it better." He then tied the handkerchief on the girl's injured right knee. "All done!"

The girl tried to stand up but she couldn't. She can still feel the pain on her knee. "Ow!" she cried.

"Now watch this! Heal better, feel better right away!" Ash said as if casting a spell on the girl's injury.

However, the 'spell still didn't work at all. "Ow, it still hurts. I can't stand up! Huh?"

Ash stood up. "Don't give up 'till it's over okay? Come on." The boy then extended his left arm to help the girl stand up. The girl tries to reach out for his hand but Ash grabbed her right arm first and pulled her up. His pull was strong enough surprising the girl as she ended up hugging him in the process.

She opened her eyes as she realized the position they were in. She pulled back and looked at Ash.

"There ya' go!" The boy said as he smiled at her. "I think we should be getting back at the campsite, okay? C'mon."

The boy led the girl back to the campsite with their hands still holding each other. As they walked out of the forest, the girl was looking at Ash with amusement on her eyes and slight blushes appeared on her cheeks.

Once Ash was able to lead the girl back to camp, he suddenly realized that he still has to find the last item the Pokeball in the list. Furthermore, his friend was still in the forest. He hurried back as he began to worry for Leaf's safety.

The boy went back to where they were supposed to meet and to his relief, he saw Leaf standing there with Poliwag on her arms.

"Red? I thought you were still up north."

"Sorry for leaving you out like that. I had to help someone who was injured and I had to lead her back to the camp." Ash explained. "Were you okay? Are you injured?" This time, it was Ash who was now worried for Leaf.

"I'm fine." She said. "Oh, and one more thing." She then grabbed the Pokeball and showed it to Ash. It was the last item that they needed to complete the list. "Poliwag found it." She said as she looked at her Pokemon proudly.

"That's great! Excellent job, Poliwag!"

"Poli!" the Pokemon said happily.

"Let's head back. We already got everything we need."

"Okay!"

"Blue? I'm sorry again for leaving you behind. I really feel bad doing that to you."

The girl can see the guilt on the boy's face. She felt sympathy over him and gave her a warm loving embrace, surprising Ash. "You don't have to explain yourself, Red."

"Huh"

"You did the right thing. What would've happened if that girl was still in the forest? I'm sure that she'd still be trap inside scared to death. I'm impressed that you've decided to save her. That was so heroic of you. That's really like you." She giggled.

Ash was touched by Leaf's understanding. He was pretty lucky to have her as a friend. His heart was pounding fast and his face was heating up. He couldn't explain the feelings that he was having as he stares at Leaf. What is this I'm feeling?" He asked himself. He then remembered the conversation that he had with Gary yesterday.

"You'll have to figure it out on your own. Open your eyes and observe Leaf carefully." Gary's words echoed on his head.

Could this have something to do with what Gary have told him? Ash thought to himself.

Leaf saw Ash spacing out. "What's wrong? Something on my face?" She asked.

"Oh um, it was nothing, Let's be on our way now."

"Alright!"

"I don't get it but for some reason….I liked the feeling" He said again to himself.

The two children went back to the camp with the all the necessary items. It was now time to announce the winner. The children are lined up with their group as they waited for the declaration of the winner. The announcer finally came out with the result.

"And the winners are…..Ash and Leaf's team!" The announcer declared. Both Ash and Leaf were surprised while at the same time happy that they won the scavenger hunt contest. They were both motioned by the announcer to come up to the stage so that they can receive their reward. "Congratulations, you two. It was your group who found the Pokeball, which is the rarest item in this hunt. How were you able to find it?"

"Well, we had a little help from our pal, Poliwag here. He was the one who found it." Ash said proudly. He also explained how all three of them worked together to find the other items in the wood.

"Once again congratulations to you two, err, I mean three." The announcer corrected himself as he realized that Poliwag was also part of the team. "Now here is your reward." The announcer gave both Ash and Leaf a medal, proof of their hard work for the event. Poliwag also received some Pokemon food supplies.

"Alright! We won a medal!" Both children shouted as they raised their medals. "Poli Poliwag!" Poliwag added as it jumped up.

After receiving their rewards, both Leaf and Ash participated in other activities. The two of them enjoyed their time together at the campsite. Ash noticed that the straw hat girl that he helped out was nowhere to be found. He thought that maybe the girl went home already.

It was now nightfall and everyone was ready to retire to their cabins. Ash and Leaf however decided to stay awake for a long while enjoying the sight of the night. The moon was round and there were a lot of stars above. Both children were amused by the beauty of the sky.

"I've never seen the sky like this before. It's so pretty!"

"I know, right? Man, I can stare at it for as long as I want."

"Thanks again for helping me convince mom to let me come to this camp, Red."

"It's nothing. I'm glad that I can enjoy all these fun activities with you, Blue." Ash now looked at her friend. "Hey, let's go together again next year!"

Leaf fell silent. Once again, she displayed a sad face as she hugged Poliwag tightly. Ash noticed the girl's sudden change of mood.

"What's wrong?"

Tears began to fall out of the girl's eyes. "There won't be any chance for me next year."

"What do you mean?"

"Red…." Leaf wiped the tears out of her eyes and inhaled deeply before she spoke. "Daddy, was hired at another Pokemon research center and…we have to move out of our house."

Ash was baffled. He couldn't believe what he just heard. "Wh-what?"

"It's in a different region, I forgot what it was called but daddy said that we have to leave next week."

"But you'll come back, right?" Ash asked hoping that Leaf will come back someday.

Leaf shook her head. "Daddy said that his job will take a long while and we might stay there permanently."

The boy couldn't help but to feel lonely as well. After next week, he'll never see his bestfriend again. Ash couldn't say anything. He remained silent. He felt as if he was struck by something sharp on his chest. He doesn't want Leaf to leave but it was out of his control.

"I'm sorry, Red." Leaf said as she embraced Ash tightly. She buried her face on his chest sobbing. Ash wrapped his arms around her. The two shared a sad moment as they realized that they will have to part ways with no assurance when they'll be able to see each other again.

"Blue, when I become a trainer, I promise that I'll come and find you." Ash said in a confident voice.

Leaf removed her embrace at Ash and looked at him. "You will?"

"I will"

Leaf was happy at what Ash have told her. She knew that Ash never goes back to his words and he never broke any promise with her. Leaf held up her little finger. Ash noticed it and he knew what it meant. He also held up his little finger and hooked it on Leaf's.

"Pinkie swear?" The girl asked

"Pinkie swear." the boy replied.

Both children smiled at one another as they once again enjoyed the view of the night.

"Red, there's one more thing that I've been meaning to tell you."

"What is it, Blue?"

This time, Leaf was now blushing. "I've always liked you." She confessed.

"I like you too, Blue. We're bestfriends after all." Ash said.

"No. Like what mommy told me. I like you like, I want to spend the rest of my life with you someday. That kind of like." She explained. "I like like you."

Ash doesn't really get it. He thought that perhaps this is the right time for him to figure out what Gary had told him. Unfortunately, he still has no answer.

"I guess, I'd love that. We can be always together forever." Ash chuckled.

Leaf sighed. He still didn't get it she thought. "It's okay, Red. You'll get it someday. Maybe when we see each other again, you'll figure out what I meant"

Both Leaf and Ash sat in a big rock. Leaf placed her head on top of Ash's shoulders while Ash placed his on top of the girl's head. Poliwag also joined the two as it lies between Ash and Leaf. The boy chuckled at their current position.

"Well this is kinda awkward. But I like it." He said.

"It can't be helped. After all, we're a small family, right?"

"Oh yeah. You're the mommy and I'm the daddy and Poliwag is our little kid." Ash smiled at the thought.

"That's right, we're a small family and hopefully someday, we'll have a bigger family." The girl said as she placed her head back to Ash's shoulders.

The two children felt that their relationship became stronger than ever. It was still hard for the children to accept that they'll part ways in the coming week so Ash and Leaf did their best at the summer camp as they enjoyed the last remaining moments they have together. But with a new promise, both of them knew that no matter how far they are to each other, they'll always be connected and that one day, they'll find each other again.

 **EPILOGUE:**

"Ash? Ash, wake up"

The young trainer finally woke up. He stretched his arms and let out a loud yawn. As he opened his eyes, he saw a young girl with short honey blonde hair in front of him. "What is it Serena?"

"The Tripokalon is starting in one hour. We have to get going."

"Ah, sorry. I was pretty comfortable with my sleep."

Serena sighed and giggled at Ash. "I figured." She said.

"Alright, I'm ready now, let's get going!" Ash stood up immediately and ran out of the room. "What are you waiting for?" He asked his female companion.

"Give me some few minutes. I'll just grab my stuff."

"Well. I'll wait for you outside, okay?"

"Sure thing!" When Ash left, Serena went to her bed and prepared all the things she needed for her next performance. She took a glance at Ash's bed with a bit of curiosity written on her face. "Who's….Blue?"

The boy recollected his dreams about his past. "One of these days I'll find you, Blue and that feeling…. I understand now. I can't wait to tell you."

Ash walked out of the Pokemon center. He has a stronger resolve to himself than ever as he looks towards the future, ready to take on every challenge he'll face. And someday, he'll be able to fulfil the promise he once made with his dear childhood friend.

 **A/N: I'm done with this story but I'm not done with the shipping yet. I have another two-shots idea and it will be in AU setting. Both chapters will be told in Ash and Leaf's POV. Please rate and review and don't forget to check out the last notes to explain some few things**


	4. Final notes

Hello there. I'll be doing some explanations here that I haven't made clear in the story as well as some things that I've considered adding but didn't made it in the story

-As you've noticed, Ash and Leaf doesn't call each other on their real names but instead, they are using the nicknames, Red and Blue. Obviously, this is a reference to Pokemon Red and Blue. Ash is the anime version of Red. As for Leaf, I based it on Pokemon Adventure's Blue name. If you're wondering why I called her Blue instead of Green when Blue was supposed to be the boy, well, I'm basing this on the Japanese version where Blue is the female character and Green is the male. It's confusing I know but deal with it.

-Another reason is because Ash was supposed to like the color red while Leaf was supposed to like the color blue. However, I can't find an opportunity to explain that to the main story so I decided to drop the idea. I also had the two give Gary the nickname, Green as reference as well to his PokeSpe/Game counterpart

\- I also originally intended to explain why Ash's outfits are blue (except his DP outfit). It was his commemoration for Leaf but I dropped the idea because I will make it look like Ash will never see Leaf again.

-Leaf's parents are nameless. I don't really want to create OC so I did not bother giving them names. Instead, Ash calls them as "Mr and Mrs" Leaf's dad/mom.

-I also intended to have Ash's hats as gifts that he received from Leaf for his birthday. But we don't know when his journey will end so I ditched the idea because I'm sure every gen, Ash will be wearing different kind of hats and I'm sure Leaf will only have limited amount of hats that she can give to him.

-There are no profanities nor any strong words in this story. The reason is because I want this to be as close as possible to the anime's standard and we all know how child –friendly the anime is.

-Since the childhood flashback in XY007 has no explanation of where the Poliwag came from, I took the liberty to have Poliwag as Leaf's Pokemon. I originally wanted Jigglypuff but I figured since the summer camp will be involved, I had to change it to Poliwag.

-I also decided to have Serena leave the summer camp because if she sticked around longer, that would mean that she'll know more about Ash and Ash will know her name and I have to tie this up with the anime. As far as the anime is concerned, Serena knows nothing much about Ash except his face and name while Ash only knows Serena as "the straw hat girl".


End file.
